More bullshit from the Clinton Campaign

[Adelante]

I mean, um, creative ledgermain ..

Ledgermain From The Clinton Campaign

Hillary Clinton's first negative contrast ad against Barack Obama in South Carolina is a masterful example of creative ledgermain.

The claim that Barack Obama praised Republican ideas or, in Clinton's words, found them "better" than Democratic ideas -- that is, the ideas themselves -- is false. Obama, in a meeting with a Reno editorial board, said that Republicans pushed new ideas to the the fore while Democrats were largely silent. That is, he praised Republicans for coming up new ideas. Nowhere did he say he preferred those ideas.

Now, it's perfectly plausible to contest the claim that Republicans came up with new ideas while Democrats didn't. But that's not the direction the Clinton campaign wanted to go.

The Clinton campaign knows it that if they repeated the claim that Obama just loved those ol' Republican ideas, they'd be lying.

So here is the script of their new radio ad:

VO: “Listen to Barack Obama last week talking about Republicans.

BO: “The Republicans were the party of ideas for a pretty long chunk of time there over the last 10, 15 years.”

VO: “Really? Aren’t those the ideas that got us into the economic mess we’re in today? Ideas like special tax breaks for Wall Street. Running up a $9 trillion debt. Refusing to raise the minimum wage or deal with the housing crisis. Are those the ideas Barack Obama’s talking about?”

BO: “The Republicans were the party of ideas.”

VO: Hillary Clinton thinks this election is about replacing disastrous Republican ideas with new ones, like jumpstarting the economy. Putting an immediate freeze on foreclosures and mortgages. Cutting taxes for the middle class. and creating millions of new jobs. With the economy in crisis, we need a president with the ideas, the solutions that get america working for all of us. Hillary Clinton. Solutions for America.

The ad implies -- but does not say -- that Obama valued the ideas themselves. It implies, but does not say -- that he was praising Republican solutions. In doing so, the ad distorts the context of what Obama said without explicitly repeating the falsehood itself.

Criss Angel would admire the sleight of hand...

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/01/clinton_attack_ad_script_vo.php

[grantcart]

1. from factcheck.org

Obama is correct: Both Bill and Hillary Clinton have lauded Reagan’s political skills. Tom Brokaw’s "Boom! Voices of the Sixties" quotes Clinton as saying that Reagan was "a child of the Depression" who understood pressures on the working and middle class:
Hillary Clinton (in Brokaw book): When he had those big tax cuts and they went too far, he oversaw the largest tax increase. He could call the Soviet Union the Evil Empire and then negotiate arms-control agreements. He played the balance and the music beautifully.

And here’s Bill Clinton in 1998 at the dedication of the Reagan Building in Washington, D.C.:

Bill Clinton (May 5, 1998): The only thing that could make this day more special is if President Reagan could be here himself. But if you look at this atrium, I think we feel the essence of his presence: his unflagging optimism, his proud patriotism, his unabashed faith in the American people. I think every American who walks through this incredible space and lifts his or her eyes to the sky will feel that.

We’ll leave it to others to decide who's praising Reagan more. The fact is that Bill and Hillary have done it, not just Obama

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/clinton-obama_slugfest.html

[Maribelle]

6. But this has nothing to do with what Obama said about Reagan. It is what Obama said about the party

Like Obama did during the debate, you are attempting to fuse the two.


Obama said the Republican Party was ........

the party of ideas for ........

[grantcart]

8. Billary has been lambasting obama for his Reagan statements

pretty pathetic when you can't even take it from a completely objective source

and for the record Billary never denied that the Republican Party had ideas but that Obama was saying they had good ideas or "was praising them" which of course he never did.

by the way you should atleast include the whole quote which was something like

"The Republican Party was the party with ideas that was challenging conventional wisdom"

[Maribelle]

10. You're wrong. And Obama was wrong during the debate.

You should at least stop making up quotes vis-a-vis your last line.

[grantcart]

33. Ok factcheck was wrong. What is your comment on the

following allegation of Clinton outright lying?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVuMYKs8iJs&eurl=http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hqblog

[Lucinda]

16. Exactly.

[lapfog_1]

20. Oh please...

two days ago all the thread were about Obama's praise for Ronny Ray-gun. Now, because he never DID praise Ronny, it's what he said about Republicans being the party of ideas (never mind if they were good or not)... gag me with a spoon.

OK... Let me take a crack at it.

Democrats, even in the time of Clinton, have been playing defense. We've been playing defense since the time of LBJ and the great society programs (most of which didn't solve poverty or provide an equal playing field... however, Affirmative Action was one BIG exception). Since then we've been playing defense.

And the Repukes keep coming up with different things to try (new ideas!). Almost ALL of which are horrible and destructive of our economy, our infrastructure, our environment, and even our military. But they are new ideas. What have WE DEMOCRATS proposed? A return to the sixties and the era of "projects" for poor people of color? Other than increasing handouts for people who are in trouble, have we proposed anything? Have we proposed anything radical? Ending farm subsidies, ending the corporate stranglehold on our media, ending our dependence on foreign energy sources? Anything?

yeah, we started to propose sweeping reforms on health care... and it died a horrible death. But it was an idea. I'll give one to the Clintons. But the rest of the Clinton administration was more nibbling around the edges (Re-inventing Government, does anyone here remember that? I do... because I worked for our federal government in those years, it was Al Gore's baby and it did wonders where I worked). But the big picture stuff, all republican (welfare reform, free trade agreements, etc).

Yeah, we here at DU take on these issues, and "fringe" candidates like Kucinich actually talk about them... but the triangulating centrists that run the party kill these before they reach the public, or they are ridiculed out of hand as impractical.

And Obama wants that to STOP!!!

[Maribelle]

29. If you reread the OP you'll see what I said was correct.

The fusion of the two will only work with Obama's lemmings.

[hayu_lol]

2. No, actually, this is just more crap from the Obama hate-hillary crew...

The ad appears to be right on target. I'm sorry that Obama lets his mouth move faster than his brain.

[K Gardner]

5. More bullshit and denial from HRC supporters, the likes of which is going to split the

entire party apart. Don't come in here crying when we end up with a Republican president for 8 more years because of Billary's bullshit and devisiveness. You people are unbelievable.

[Maribelle]

7. Oh brother. Obama was totally wrong speaking of the Rep party as he did ....

and your pomp claims HRC supporters are going to split the entire party apart.

[Iceburg]

23. Please don't refer to Hillary as Billary ...

its oozing with sexist overtones. Perhaps you could show a little respect for the candidate howeve small. You don't hear the non-Obama supporters referring to Barak as Baby Barak even though that is precisely what many may be thinking. Barak made a huge mistake (actually several -- saying he would unilaterally bomb Pakistan comes to mind) with his fawning remarks and now they are coming back to bite him, and rest assured the same damn clips will be used against whoever the Dem nominee is in the GE. Sheesh -- one wonders whether he knows what team he is on. Perhaps he should have run as a Repub or an Independent if he is so disillusioned with the progress and ideas of the Dem party.

[niceypoo]

32. Hmmm, when was the last time an Obama supporter defended him on the ISSUES?

Instead of attacking Hillary, Edwards and their supporters? Then ask yourself just who is splitting the party...

[BonnieJW]

3. So would karl rove

[SaveElmer]

4. An example of the kind of disaster we can expect from Obama if he got the nod...

He thinks Hillary is going after him on his foolish comments re: Reagan...what does he think the Republicans will do.

He goofed, and he is trying to cover up by blaming everyone but himself...he is running a political campaign not a debating society...and if this is what we can expect...not a good one...

[Maribelle]

13. Obama and his supporters are truly loose cannons.

They will crumble under the republican onslaught.

[lapfog_1]

9. Yup, more smear tactics from the Rovian playbook

And if Obama fights back, all I see are "concern" threads that Obama is frustrated and angry. And not ready to take on the repukes because they will do so much worse... (actually, Hillary is doing a fine job of using typical repuke tactics to win at any cost).

And if Obama DOESN'T fight back, I'm sure we would see a bunch of threads on "Obama has no backbone, won't even defend himself... he'll be just like Kerry in the fall when the Republicans do the same thing".

These trolls are even combing places like WorldNetDaily for articles that claim "Obama looks mean" and such. And then the Hillary supporters want people to "debunk" such crap. Wonderful.
(btw, you can't really debunk someones opinion... other than to say "Well, I don't think Obama looks mean")

They are sinking lower and lower. Maybe Hillary will win. These tactics have worked before against fine people like Al Gore and John Kerry. But it sure won't unify the Democratic party. I know they think that the rest of us hate the repukes sooo much, and having no where else to go, we'll vote for Hillary... but I wouldn't count on it.

[Rageneau]

21. As Harry used to say, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

This is hardball politics played for the highest possible stakes.

It is no game for wimps or whiners.

Obama should either fight back or get out of the ring.

[lapfog_1]

25. I believe he IS fighting back

which is why all of the threads today on how "mean" he was and how "frustrated" he appears and how "petty" he is for bringing up all that stuff about Reagan and the republican party again (i.e. defending his record and his quotes).

Which is exactly what Kerry should have done with the Swiftboat assholes... and IS what Obama is doing with our own version of the swiftboaters.

[leftynyc]

26. Wait until the real Rove gets hold of Obama

And as much as you obviously cannot stand the Clinton supporters, know they feel the same way about you. Both candidate's supporters are doing their side any favors. I'm sick to death of both sides.

[FredScuttle]

11. I hope that NV newspaper endorsement was worth it

because that interview may well cost him the nomination.

"party of ideas"? doesn't exactly sound like a ripping critique of the GOP in the 90's and this decade. Obama offered a fastball right down the middle for Clinton to smack. He's an amateur and this episode is but one example.

[jkshaw]

15. "because that interview may well cost him the nomination"

Hogwash.

[Ashy Larry]

28. If that is true,

then why did Hillary feel the need to lie about what he actually said? If what he said was so terrible, why not just quote him accurately and let the voters decide?

HILLARY: "The facts are that he has said in the last week that he really liked the ideas of the Republicans over the last 10 to 15 years, and we can give you the exact quote. Now, I personally think they had ideas, but they were bad ideas. They were bad ideas for America."

Obama did not say that he "really liked" the ideas of the Republicans. Hillary said it is a fact that he did say it. If he didn't say it, isn't Hillary saying something that isn't true? What do you call someone who says things that are not true?

[FredScuttle]

30. Why didn't Obama say they were "bad ideas"?

Why leave the door open for Clinton to drive a semi through?

[jkshaw]

12. Great post, WesDem

And a great descriptive noun -- though it's legerdemain (I had to look it up!) I'm going to use it all day today to get it well planted in my head, because it's so much more dignified than bullshit (as you pointed out) and sleaze and slime and even swiftboating and lies.

Thanks, friend.

[Adelante]

22. I thought it was legerdemain

But then I was thrown off by Ambinder's spelling :D

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

14. Hillary Clinton herself seems to have shown a lotta love for Republican ideas

The Iraq War Resolution and Kyl Lieberman for starters.

[sandnsea]

18. era of big government is over, ending welfare as we know it

NAFTA, China trade, deregulation. Everything we've got now, they laid the ground work for.

[jkshaw]

19. True, aint

I think she'd better give it a rest. What Obama said, both part 1 and part 2, is getting so much press right now, her entire Obama loves Reagan campaign might well turn around and bite her.

[BootinUp]

17. I think Obama put out some risky talking points

and that its fair political game. eom.

[Forrest Greene]

24. Who Thinks Karl Rove

...was hired by the Clinton campaign a few months agoo, when he left the White House?

[leftynyc]

27. If you really believe that

you are simply too far gone to be reasoned with.

[Forrest Greene]

35. Gee, I Wouldn't

...come here looking to be reasoned with.

[IsItJustMe]

31. Barack's comments were trifle compared to the issues this country is facing. I, for one, was pissed

off when I heard them, but so what. I am over it and I think most people should get over it and move on. Fact, people frick up. PERIOD. As long as they learn there lessons, thats fine.

In the grand scheme of things, all things considered, it's nothing. Now get back to the issues that really matter and take this whole damn debate to a higher level.

[Sparkly]

34. Legerdemain. nt